Day 102 Embracing by Letting Go

March 21, 2015

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)

I have never been to India, so I attempt here to illustrate the spirit of the Amy's words below through the psychology color, shape and curving lines in my photo (also the colors in India's flag):

Orange - social
communication and optimism (flower)

Green - balance and
growth (leaf)

White – light, goodness and
purity (border)

Blue - trust and peace (text)

Today’s gift arrived this morning, of all places, on Facebook in a friend’s post. I read it and reread it and then reread it again. At first I considered it cheating by filling this day almost entirely with someone else’s words instead of my own, but I must share the exact words to convey the depth of today’s gift from Amy.

A friend called and asked if I was a changed person after India. I am more me and less of it, I said. He suggested I was a Riddler or a Yoda. I replied. India is like a sandwich of the profane and profound. It touched my heart and broke it wide open and put it all together again, bigger, more broken, more alive, fearless without self consciousness. I had had the grand notion that once I arrived in India I could make my little plans and do India. I found myself bowing to and kneeling with, people whose legs were so broken they walked with flip flops on their hands. I found myself snuggling with beggar children as they braided marigolds in my hair and called me Amma (Mom). I was protected from a gang of tattooed 1st or 2nd grade boys by three preschool girls who worn torn dirty dresses. On and on it went. Connection after connection, the kind of connection where in a moment my being flushed warm as love led the way, without any effort, me showing up in my perfectly flawed way. I remember another friend who I asked for help a couple years ago. I felt out of touch with my heart, my work, my life. "Embrace yourself, " he riddled. And so I embraced myself by letting go of silly thoughts, notions and mind machinations. I allowed love to lead. And therein was the embrace, the riddle, the change, the heart, my heart. Me doing India? Ha. India did me. Am I changed? I am more me and less of it. And I am back to the original, great and nagging question of Who am I? finding, the answer doesn't matter.~ Amy Deputy